Norfolk Gazette And Publick Ledger

THE PUBLICK LEDGER
SATURDAY EVENING JULY 30, 1814

For the information of our readers, we have inserted the advice of the secretary of the treasury, to receive proposals for a loan of six millions part of twenty-five millions authorised by an act of the last session of Congress.

Intelligence from Canada will be looked for with anxiety proportioned to the importance of events which may be anticipated. A meeting of the squadron on Lake Ontario, the operations of our armies under Generals Izard and Brown, are expected to be given in detail in a few days.

We give our opinions with diffidence when we speak of military operations, but the opinions which we entertain we shall express.

In the present state of the relative force of the enemy in Canada, and of our force on the frontiers of that province, as far as the same are ascertained by report, we cannot approve of the invasion of Canada. The reinforcements which it is believed the enemy have received, render a conquest of that country almost hopeless: it is believed the numerical force of the enemy's regulars exceeds ours, exclusive of militia, which, from such a powerful force, will acquire additional confidence. If our regulars had remained within our own territory, and to them had been added a powerful militia force, the enemy would not, it is probable, have ventured beyond his own territory; but if a misfortune should happen in Canada to one of our regular armies, the militia will want the confidence which they most generally feel when mixed with the regulars. In short, under the general aspect of affairs, it would appear that a defensive campaign would have been our wisest course.